Elektorornis chenguangi

† Elektorornis chenguangi is a remarkable enantiornithine bird preserved in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber (Cenomanian Late Cretaceous). Its most striking feature is an extraordinarily elongated third toe, longer than the tarsometatarsus, interpreted as a specialised tool for probing bark crevices for invertebrates—convergent with the elongated finger of the aye-aye lemur. Named for its amber preservation ('elektron' = amber) and palaeontologist Jingmai O'Connor, it provides extraordinary soft-tissue preservation.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Elektorornis chenguangi was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Elektorornis chenguangi lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.